California · Penal Code

PEN §949: The first pleading on the part of the people in the superior court in a felony case is the indictment, information, or the complaint in any case certified to the superior court under Section 859a.

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute defines the types of initial court documents prosecutors must file in different criminal cases—indictments or informations for felonies, complaints for misdemeanors and infractions, and accusations for certain government code proceedings.

Read the full statutory text

The first pleading on the part of the people in the superior court in a felony case is the indictment, information, or the complaint in any case certified to the superior court under Section 859a. The first pleading on the part of the people in a misdemeanor or infraction case is the complaint except as otherwise provided by law. The first pleading on the part of the people in a proceeding pursuant to Section 3060 of the Government Code is an accusation.

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